TIPS ON...

Preparing handouts

Authors: Alka S Ahuja

Publication date:
05 Aug 2006

Have you ever created a handout at the last minute before a teaching session? We often prepare them hastily without considering elements that make them most effective. Here are some tips on preparing a good handout.

Plan handouts while planning your session

PowerPoint is a useful tool for creating handouts

Set off distinct parts of the handout using italics, shading, bold, or underlining

Use plain English, avoiding jargon and waffle

Illustrations can make your handout more reader friendly; clip art is simple and easy to use

Use bulleted lists to make them easier to scan and understand

Leave a margin of at least 2 cm on every side

Serif fonts (such as Times New Roman) are more distinctive in print than sans serif fonts (such as Arial)

Restrict yourself to three fonts in a single handout

Give specific information which students need for future reference

Make handouts interactive by leaving space for results of brainstorms and discussions

Including small tasks and questions in the handouts often helps to keep the crowd awake and active

Never make handouts self explanatory—instead leave space allowing students to annotate and add their own notes

Include helpful websites or tips for finding additional information

Include contact information, preferably an email address

Make copies of the handouts ahead of time to avoid problems such as running out of paper and photocopiers breaking down

Try to judge the best time to give them out—opinions differ on when is the best time

Try to update them regularly

Say no more than necessary—saying too much ruins an otherwise good handout

Remember where you store your handouts on your computer—it will save you hours one or two years down the line ■